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Tips for Collecting and Identifying Mushrooms

Identifying mushrooms can be challenging when compared to identifying trees, birds, or butterflies. Challenges of identification stem from the lack of information collected in the field or lack of distinguishing features on the mushrooms collected. Fungi guides often rely on details that may be easily overlooked in the field or require microscope observations.  But don’t let these challenges stop you from trying to identify that mushroom.

Authors: 

How do I get rid of mushrooms in my yard or garden bed?

Answer: 

Mushrooms are the reproductive or fruiting structures of fungi. Their appearance in the lawn is usually indicative of decaying tree stumps or roots in the soil.  In garden beds, mushrooms can appear because they are associated with decaying organic matter which could be dead roots, stumps, or mulch.  Mushrooms typically appear when the environmental conditions are ideal for their development.  For many mushrooms, this is cool and damp.

Mushroom in lawn
When mushrooms appear in the lawn, no action is required.  However, if you don't like the appearnce or are worried about kids or pets eating them, they can be mowed off or raked and removed when they are observed.

Mushrooms In the Landscape

News Article

Mushrooms associated with trees, lawn, mulch, and even house plants, are macroscopic fruiting bodies of certain fungi. Fungi develop a microscopic network of structures underground (Hyphae, Mycelia), associated with trees and other plants, and often embedded in the substrate (soil, living or dead wood, etc.) and extracting nutrients from it. Mushrooms and fungi, in general, are one of the many nature's recyclers.

Mushroom Season is Upon Us

News Article

Mushroom season is here, and before you hit the trails and go searching for your favorite specimens, make sure you refresh your memory and understand the risks associated with hunting and consuming wild-harvested mushrooms.

Always remember there is always a risk associated with consuming wild harvested mushrooms, even those considered edible.  Check out these great resources for safe mushroom foraging.

Field Guide

2020 Mushroom Certification Trainings Cancelled

News Article

Due to the coronavirus pandemic around the globe, and out of an abundance of caution, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach has decided to cancel the morel and oyster mushroom certification workshops scheduled for March 21 and April 4.

Mushrooms in the Basement?

News Article

We have recently received several questions about mushrooms developing both outdoor and indoors. With the wet spring and flooding, water had made its way to cracks on walls or in floors, in older houses, or basements prone to flooding. Other common spots for the mushrooms to develop include, logs, mulch and lawns. In fact, we saw our first slime mold question this week. The common question: how can I get rid of the mushrooms? The answer, it all about moisture!

Floods and morel hunting, oh my!

News Article

Lately, the general public has reached out to us was wondering: does the morel mushroom hunting season have any precautions this year, due to flooding and devastation in Iowa?

Mycology for Kids- Part 1

News Article

During mid-April, our Diagnostician Lina was interviewed by a young gentleman for his school project. He wanted to learn about Mushrooms, mushroom identification, Mycology and meet with the diagnostician to understand what she does at the Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic 

This video is part of a series of videos from that interview. We discussed how do we identify mushroom in the clinic, and how the clinic helps train Iowa citizens to recognize true morel mushrooms, avoid false morels and be certified to sell true morel in the state of Iowa legally.  

Fairy Rings

Encyclopedia Article
Image of dead grass rings resulting from fairy ring mushrooms

This fairy rings common in summer and fall in lawns and other grassy places. Patches can be up to 12 inches in diameter. There are several mushrooms associated with fairy ring formation in lawns.

They first appear as a cluster of mushrooms or stimulated grass. The rings enlarge each year from a few inches to several feet. Some rings disappear for a year or more and then reappear. Fairy rings may be produced by 50 or more species of soil-inhabiting fungi.

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